Rotary internal combustion engine



April 21,1942. 0. o. BowERs 2,280,742

ROTARY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Aug; 17, 1940 3 Sh'eet s-Sheet 1April-21,1942. 6. o. BOWERS 2,280,742

ROTARY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Aug". 17, 1940 5 SheetS -Sheet 20. 0.30 war .9

April 1942- o. o. BOWERS' 2,280,742 ROTARY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINEFiled Aug. 17, 1940 I I) Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Apr. 21, 1942 UNITEDSTATE s PATENT OFFICE 2,280,142 ROTARY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Oliver0. Bowers, Cape Girardeau, Mo., assignor of one-third to Joe D. Jamesand one-third to Norman W. Day, both of Cape Girardeau, Mo.

Application August 17, 1940, Serial No. 353,135

1 Claim.

by means of which certain advantages are had over gas engines of otherdesigns, both rotary and reciprocating such, for example, as smallnessas compared with the amount of power developed, the elimination ofreciprocating pistons, piston pins, connecting rods, crank shafts andcrank shaft bearings, a greater efliciency, a minimum number ofreplaceable parts and substantially complete elimination of vibration.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a rotary gas engine, anovel means for comsides of which are closed by the housing side wallplates 3 which are bolted or otherwise suitably secured to the wall 2 bythe bolts 4- and each of which has a central hub 5 through which isformed the shaft opening 6. In each of the hub openings 6 is a shaftbearing 1 and extending through the radial center of the circularhousing is the shaft 8 which has a central portion of enlarged diameter,as indicated at 9, against the ends of which the adjacent bearings Ibear, thus maintaining the shaft in position and against axial movementin the housing.

pressing a fuel charge and for igniting such compressed charge within acombustion chamber or area at the peak of compression whereby themaximum of efilciency of the ignited fuel is obtained.

A further object of the invention is to provide a rotary gas engine ormotor which operates on the four-cycle principle but which has a powerstroke upon each revolution of the rotor and shaft instead of upon everyother revolution as is the case with the standard four-cycle engine.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of thefollowing detailed description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings forming part of this specification, with the understanding,however, that the invention is not to be confined to any strictconformity with the showing of the drawings but may be changed ormodified so long as such changes or modifications mark no materialdeparture from the salient The central portion 9 of the shaftcarriesadjacent one end the encircling collar In to which collar isfixed or secured the hub ll of the rotor body, which is indicated as awhole by the numeral l2.

The rotor, in addition to the hub portion II, which is secured to theshaft collar H) by the cap screws 13, consists of the ring l4 whichencircles the hub II, and is suitably secured to the hub to rotatetherewith. This ring portion of the rotor is made up of a semi-circularportion l5 which is of gradually increasing thickness from one end tothe other, the outer side of the end of greatest thickness bearingagainst the inner face of the annular wall 2 of the casing and formingthe power piston l6 which operates in the manner hereinafter stated. Theother half or semi-cirfeatures of the invention as expressed in theappended claim.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a view in side elevation of the engine constructed inaccordance with the present invention, showing in elevation the valveoperating gears together with the valve control means.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary detailed view of a pair of valve cams, the valvearms actuated thereby, together with the gear means for controlling thecam.

Fig. 3 isa sectional view taken through the engine on a planeperpendicular to the axis of rotation for the rotor and at one side ofthe rotor.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig.3.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral I generallydesignates the rotor housing which comprises the annular wall 2, the

cular portion of the rotor ring i3 is formed to provide diametricallyopposite from the power piston IS, a suction piston H which isrelatively short circumferentially of the rotor and bears at its outerface against the inner surface of the annulus 2. Due to the taperingform of the power piston, the outer surface thereof substantiallydefines a cycloidal curvature which starts at the face I 8 of thesuction piston and terminates at the outer edge of the face of theexplosion piston l6. Thus the interior of the chamber in which the rotoris located is divided into the two chambers l9 and 20, the chamber l9constituting the fuel compression chamber while the chamber 20constitutes the fuel explosion and expansion chamber.

Disposed within the casing between the side wall plates 3 and theadjacent faces of the rotor are the flat annular wear plates 2i. Theside face of the rotor hub H has fitted therein the annular packingrings 22 while the side faces of the rotor ring [4 also have fittedtherein the packing rings 23 and these packing rings together withtherings 22 frictionally engage the adjacent faces of the wear plates 2|and prevent the loss of compression from the compression and exoperation of the motor.

plosion chambers. The sides and the faces of the piston bodies I6 and llalso have countersunk, therein the packing strips 24 and 25,respectively, which bear against the wear plates 2|.

Formed in the inner face of the annular wall 2 and extending a shortdistance circumferentially thereof is a combustion pocket 26 into whichthe electrodes of a spark plug 2'! project when such plug is secured inthe spark plug opening 28 in the wall 2. At the ends of the pocket 26,valve slots 29 and 30 are formed through the annular wall of thehousing, which slots open into the housing toward the periphery of therotor and slidably disposed in the slot 29 is an abutment valve 3|having a stem 32 which extends radially outwardly through the housing 33for an expansion spring 34. This spring engages the outer edge of theabutment valve and normally urges the same inwardly. In the valve slot30 is a reciprocable valve 35 which functions as a compression valve.This valve likewise has a stem which is indicated at 36, which extendsthrough the housing 31, the housing enclosing a control spring 38 whichnormally urges the compression valve inwardly.

Substantially diametrically opposite from the combustion pocket 26, theannular wall 2 is provided with an exhaust port 39 and directly radiallyopposite to the center of the combustion pocket, a slot 40 is formed inwhich is mounted the reciprocable exhaust valve 4|. This valve earriesthe stem 42 which extends radially outwardly I through the housing 43and the housing 43 enthree valves 3|, 35 and 4| are in the form of flatplates which are of a width equaling the width of the rotor and whichmove inwardly and outwardly across the chambers I9 and 20 during theEach of these three valves is provided along its inner and side edgeswith a packing strip 45 for preventing loss of compression between theedges of the valves and the adjacent surfaces.

Upon the side of the exhaust valve 4| opposite from the exhaust port, asuitable opening is formed in the annular wall 2 to receive the guidebody 45 for the stem 41 of a pocket type valve 45 which opens inwardlytoward the rotor and which not shown. This intake valve stem is enclosedin and engaged by a control spring which normally urges the valve tomore outwardly and to its seat so as to normally urge the valve toclosed position.

The'several valves for the motor may be controlled in any suitablemanner to effect their operation in the proper timing order for theoperation of the engine in the manner hereinafter stated. One means ishere shown for actuating the several valves which comprises the mountingon the rotor shaft of a' drive gear 5|, which is in mesh with two drivengears 52. The driven gears are supported upon shafts 53 which in turnare rotatably supported by bearing posts 54 which its opposite end it isforked, an indicated at 59 for engagement with the outer end of theadjacent valve stem. Each of the adjacent valve stems is slotted, asindicated at 60, thus forming a reduced portion which engages in therock lever fork 59 and establishing a loose coupling between the stemand the fork which permits the oscillation of the rock lever to urge thevalve stems outwardly.

The cam lever associated with the fuel intake valve 48 is indicated bythe numeral 51 and one end of this lever carries the cam follower roller58' while the opposite end of the lever, which is indicated by thenumeral 58", bears against the outer end of the intake valve stem 41, asshown in Figs. 1 and 3.

The abutment valve 3| is controlled by the cam 6| while the adjacentcompression valve 35 is controlled by the cam 62 upon the opposite shaftfrom that which supports the cam 6|. Upon the same shaft with the cam 6|is a pointed cam 53 which controls through the lever 51', the fuelintake valve 48. Upon the shaft supporting the cam 62 is a pointed cam64 which engages the end of the adjacent cam lever which is coupled withthe stem of the exhaust valve 4| for the actuation of this valve.

Any suitable means may be employed for supporting the motor, there beinghere shown a bed plate 65, Fig. 3, which is suitably secured to therotor casing to support the same with the shaft horizontally disposed.

While in the present illustration of the invention, there has been showna single rotor casing and a single rotor upon the shaft 8, it will beobvious to those versed in the art that a number of such casings may bearranged in coaxial relation to provide a corresponding number of rotorsupon a single shaft if such construction is desired.

In the operation of the present motor, it may be assumed that the rotorin the position in which it is shown in Fig. 3, is ready to receiveagainst the power or combustion piston IS, a power impulse. Such impulseis supplied by the ignition of compressed fuel in the pocket 25 and inthe area between the face of the piston l6 and the closed abutment valve3|. The intake valve 43 is held closed and the compression and exhaustvalves are held open. The rotor after receiving the power impulse turnscounterclockwise as viewed in this figure and the compression valveremains in opened position after theface of the piston l6 passes it. Thefuel intake piston moves past the exhaust valve 4| which is immediatelyclosed and as the pistonll moves past the fuel intake valve 48, thisvalve is opened so that fuel may be drawn in into the graduallyenlarging space between the trailing face I 8 of the piston I1 and theclosed exhaust valve. As the piston l1 approaches and reaches apredetermined position with respect to the abutment valve 3|, this valvewill open to prevent the establishment of a back pressure between it andthe piston I1 and the rotor continues to turn, the compression valve 35still remaining in open position. Any products of combustion remainingin the area H! from a previous fuel charge will be gradually forced outthrough the exhaust port 33. When the intake piston or suction piston l1reaches and passes the compression valve 35, this valve will slideinwardly to closed position but the abutment valve 3| remains open. Thepiston l6 will now have reached and passed the exhaust valve 4| and asit continues to turn toward the compression valve 35, the fuel chargewhich will be in the tapered fuel'compression chamber l9, which is nowat the top of the motor instead of at the bottom part as it isillustrated in Fig. 3, will be gradually compressed against thecompression valve as the piston I6 moves around tooperation of themachine but on the other hand has a desirable result because after thepiston ll wards this valv As this is taking place, the

compression valve will be gradually opened as it rides upon the outerfaces of the body l5 which, as previously stated, gradually movesradially with respect to the rotor. When the piston it reaches the stillopened abutment valve 3|, the compression valve 35 will be fully movedoutwardly, as shown in Fig. 3, and all of the fuel will be compressedwithin the combustion pocket 26. Just as soon as the face of the pistonI6 passes the abutment valve 3|, this valve closes or moves inwardly,thus securing the compressed fuel charge in the pocket 26 and betweenthe face of the abutment valve and the face of the piston. The charge isnow ignited and the cycle repeated.

From the foregoing, it will be readily seen that in this motor whilethere is obtained the successive steps of fuel intake, compression,explosion, and exhaust as in any four-cycle internal combustion motor,there is obtained, unlike the ordinary four-cycle combustion motor, apower stroke upon each revolution of the rotor. The piston head l5 afterpassing the valve 4| is idling in so far as the power face thereof isconcerned although it will, of course, be understood from the foregoingdescription that the advancing side of the piston will be compressing afuel charge against the compression valve 35 which will then be inclosed position. Likewise the piston I! after it passes the valve 35will not be performing any effective work in so far as its trailing faceis concerned but the advancing side thereof will naturally be forcingahead of it and out of the port 39 the products of combustion remainingfrom the last explosion. While some slight. reduction of pressure will,of course, be set up upon the trailing sides of the pistons I B and I!after they respectively pass the valves and 35 this will not be such asto prevent the desired has passed the port 39 the reduced pressure wouldcause the rapid sucking in of fresh. air which would subsequently be'ejected by theadvancing sideof the piston l6 and this would assist incooling the engine parts.

What is claimed is:

A rotary internal combustion engine, comprising a circular casing havingan annular peripheral wall, a shaft extending axially through thecasing, means forming a combustion pocket in the inner face of theannular wall and directed into the casing, a rotor supported in thecasing on said shaft and having a periphery spaced through the'majorportion of its extent from the annular wall, means forming a radiallyextending power piston body upon. the rotor periphery which has contactwith the inner surface of the annular wall, a fuel suction piston bodyextending radially from the rotor periphery to and contacting the innersurface of the annular wall substantially diametrically opposite fromthe first piston, a pair of radially shiftable abutment valves mountedfor extension through the annular walltoward said rotor periphery andhaving said combustion pocket located therebetween, a radially shiftableabutment valve movable through said wall toward the rotor periphery anddisposed opposite from the first valves, means forming an exhaust portbetween the last-mentioned valve and one of said first valves, a valvedfuel inlet port opening intothe casing adjacent to the last mentionedradially shiftable valve and upon the opposite side of the same from theexhaust port, and control mechanism for said valves by which that one ofthe pair of abutment valves nearest the exhaust port is open while thepower piston is receiving a power impulse and the adjacent valve isclosed,

and the said last mentioned valve is closed immediately after the fuelsuction piston has moved past it toward the inlet port and the inletport valve is opened immediately after the passage of the fuel suctionpiston on its suction stroke.

' OLIVER 0. BoWERs.

